Trip-coupling.



R. J. HAMILTON.

TRIP COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED 0017, 1910.

15038356. Patented Sept. 10,1912.

Illlhii UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. HAMILTON, OF BROWNING, MONTANA.

TRIP-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Browning, in the county of Teton and State of Montana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trip-Couplings, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trip couplings,and more particularly to a coupling which is designed to be used inconnection with hay slings and analogous devices, whereby the slings maybe instantly coupled or uncoupled.

The primary object of the present invention is to produce a coupling ofsimple and inexpensive construction and reliable action by means ofwhich the two sling members may be instantly uncoupled when it isdesired to deposit the load of hay carried thereby.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, itbeing understood that changes in the specific structure shown anddescribed may be made within the scope of the claim without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the sev: eralviews, Figure 1 is a view of a hay sling equipped with my improvedcoupling, Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the coupling detached fromthe sling, Fig. 3 is a similar View, one of the sections of the casingbeing removed, Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, Fig.5 is a detail perspective view of the locking bolt.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates a hay sling which may be of anyapproved construct-ion, the two sections of which are provided at theirinner ends with suitable means for connection to the coupling member 6.As shown in the drawings one of the hay slings is provided with aplurality of cords which are permanently secured in one end of thecoupling, the other sling being provided with a ring or link 5 which isadapted to attach to the opposite end of the coupling member.

The coupling 6 comprises the two casing sections 6, which are formedupon one of their ends with a hook 7 which extends ap- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed October 7,

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

1910. Serial No. 585,838.

proximately one-half of the width of the casings. The opposite end ofone of the sections is formed with an integral connecting bar orlink 8.Each of the sections have their opposed faces grooved or recessed asshown at 9. Between the sections and in the grooves 9 a sliding lockingbolt 10 is disposed and is adapted to coengage with the outer hookedends of the sections to couple the sections of the hay sling when it isdesired to load or stack hay or other grain. The grooves 9 are formed attheir reariends with an inwardly projecting shoulder 11, contracting thewidth of the grooves at this point, and providing a guide for thelocking bolt. The forward end of the bolt 10 is formed with a lateralenlargement 12, which is of the same width as the shoulders 11. Betweenthe shoulders 1.1 and the enlargement 12, a spring 13 is positioned, andnormally tends to retain the forward end of the locking bolt inengagement. with the hook 7.

It will be noted that the forward extremity of the bolt is acontinuation of the enlarged portion 12- thereof, and does not extendthe entire width of the bolt. In the rear end of the bolt a link 14 issecured to which one end of a rod 15 is attached. This link movesinwardly with the bolt, and the rod 15 is movable in a longitudinalrecess 16 provided in the lower casing section. The other of thesections is provided with a channel groove 17 in which the link 14 isreceived during the inward movement of the rear end of the locking bolt.The casing sections are secured together in any desired manner, as byscrews or rivets, or as shown in the drawings the sections may beprovided with mortises and tenons whereby the casing sections may besecurely held against all possibility of accidental disengagement.

In operation, one of the hay slings is permanently secured to the bar orlink 8, and

the ring 5 of the other of the sling sections is of which the couplingmay be operated to release the load carried by the sling at aconsiderable distance from the point of opera tion.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a trip couplingwhich while extremely simple in its construction is in stantaneous inits operation and the sections of the sling may be very quicklyconnected and disconnected.

By forming the casing sections as above described, the maximum amount ofstrength and durability is secured, and it will be understood that thespring 13 may be made of the required tension whereby the device may beadapted to various uses. As the various parts are all of simpleformation, it will be obvious that the device may be very ineX-pensively manufactured, while at the same time a high degree ofefficiency is obtained.

hat is claimed is:

A trip coupling comprising a pair of casings, each having a hook at oneend extending inwardly and having slots formed in their meeting facesand extending longitudinally therein, the hooks curving across thecasings the casings being formed at the rear with inwardly extendingshoulders reducing the width of the slot, a spring mounted in the slotand bearing against the shoulders,

and a bolt having a reduced portion slidably mounted in the reducedportion of the slots and having an enlarged portion providing a shoulderagainst which the other end of the spring bears, whereby when the boltand spring are introduced into the slot of one of the casings and theother casing is secured in position on the first the two casingssecurely lock the bolt and spring therebetween and prevent removalthereof, one of the casings having an attaching loop formed thereon, andan operating rod secured to the bolt and projecting rearwardly in theplane of the other casing to exert a direct rearward pull to draw thebolt into the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. HAMILTON. Witnesses:

W. C. BROADWATER, GUY CRANDALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

